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Highlight: Trailing by one in overtime, Eaton Rapids’ kicker lined up his extra-point attempt to tie the game. But pressure by Fowlerville’s defense made him rush the attempt, and it sailed wide left as the Gladiators celebrated one of their most dramatic victories in recent years.

Fowlerville’s defense bounced back

Entering Friday night’s contest with Eaton Rapids, the Fowlerville defense was surrendering 35.5 points per contest, having allowed at least 42 in three of its previous four games.

Well, a friendly matchup with the Eaton Rapids offense, which came into the game scoring at a rate of only 9.5 points, was expected to give the Gladiators a chance to change that — and they took advantage.

The Glads held Eaton Rapids to just seven points into the fourth quarter. Those seven points weren’t allowed by the defense, either, as a second-quarter pass was intercepted by Greyhounds’ freshman Zach Dassance and taken the distance.

Fowlerville would allow two more scores, one late in the fourth and the other in overtime.

The Glads finally looked like they pieced things together on that end, and hope they have to maintain some of that momentum going forward.

Fowlerville loves winning on kicks

Two seasons ago, the Gladiators were on the opposite end. They were the ones trotting out their kicker, Bailey Edwards, whose task was to boot the game-winning field goal as time was expiring.

Edwards lined up his shot, a 43-yard kick that the eventual first team all-county kicker put it right through the pylons.

That victory in 2015 was often credited as the one that turned around Fowlerville’s fortunes and proved to the team it could win big games in 2016, when the Glads ended up going 7-3 and having their best year since 2009.

The Gladiators busted open the bag of tricks

The Glads were dangerously close to losing Friday night’s game.

When Eaton Rapids scored with 1:17 left in regulation, the belief, of course, was that the game was over, that the Greyhounds had beaten the Gladiators for the second time ever and that Fowlerville was now 1-4.

That belief lasted for all of 16 seconds.

Fowlerville called for the pass back to the quarterback, and dual-threat QB Geoffrey Knaggs snuck out of the backfield and was thrilled with the opportunity to haul in the crazy game-tying pass from Andrew McFadden with 1:01 left.

Knaggs came up big late

The Fowlerville QB made a costly mistake early in the game, throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown that gave Eaton Rapids its only points until the fourth quarter.

But, in the end, Knaggs more than made up for it.

His touchdown reception was arguably the biggest play of the night. Then, his overtime touchdown pass to JT Maybee sealed the victory.

Pinckney’s Nick Cain, Levi Collins and Brighton’s Will Jontz are the frontrunners for Livingston Daily’s Offensive Player of the Year. But if Fowlerville can find ways to keep winning, Knaggs is probably right at the top of the pack in that second tier.

Fowlerville owns Eaton Rapids ... but it’s getting closer

With all due respect to Eaton Rapids, the Gladiators just have its number.

Friday night’s 21-20 victory put the Glads at 8-1 against Eaton Rapids all-time, with eight of those games being played since 2007.

That said, the last three games have been extremely tight.

This year’s one-point victory was the closest, but last season it was decided, 14-0, in favor of the Gladiators, and it was only an eight-point game the year prior to that, 14-6 — also in favor of Fowlerville. Bet a close game and bet the under on future Fowlerville-Eaton Rapids games.